Penny French Garrett Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Penny French Garrett, age 46, of Damascus, Virginia, ended her courageous six-year battle with cancer on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Penny, a devoted wife and mother, was best known for her beautiful smile and her unwavering warmth and kindness. She leaves a great legacy – her wonderful children, Peyton (18) and Madison (15), and The Penny F. Garrett Sarcoma Foundation (C-TREC) which has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to combat rare cancers. Penny, a life-long resident of Damascus, graduated from Holston High School in 1986 and Emory and Henry College in 1990. In high school Penny was the Homecoming Queen, Miss HHS, a cheerleader, and a member of the National Honor Society, Tri-Hi-Y, the Varsity Club, the HHS Band and FHA. She earned a B.A. in Accounting at E&H. She worked at Revco in Abingdon and in the Bristol Office of the Virginia Department of Transportation prior to her years as Property Accountant at the Bristol Mall. She later served alongside her husband at Garrett Funeral Home in Damascus. Penny was a member of First Baptist Church. As their children grew, Penny loved nothing more than being involved with their activities at school and sharing her passion for their learning and sports with other children and their parents. Prior to her illness, she was very active in the school’s PTA. She was Peyton and Madison’s biggest fan and cheerleader in sports, academics and extra-curricular activities. Penny also loved spending time with her family and friends. From Sunday lunches at her mom and dad’s house to Holiday gatherings with cousins and friends, Penny enjoyed and appreciated every minute of quality time with them. Penny loved her dog, Molly, and always included her in everything she and the family did. In December 2008, Penny was diagnosed with Uterine Leiomyosarcoma (LMS), a rare soft-tissue cancer affecting four in one million people each year. After 19 months of aggressive chemotherapy, three major surgeries, and countless trips to Houston, Penny won her battle and finally danced with NED (no evidence of disease) for three years. At a routine check-up in January 2014, Penny was diagnosed with Myelodyplastic Syndrome (MDS), a type of blood cancer that was caused from the chemotherapy used to treat her first cancer (LMS). More chemotherapy, blood transfusions and trips to Houston ensued, and she learned that the only cure for MDS was a stem cell transplant. A perfect match was found in the bone marrow donor database and the transplant was on July 23rd. After the transplant, Penny had to stay in Houston for 100 days, the first 30 days in isolation at the hospital and the remainder of time in housing close by to continue being monitored. Five days before she was supposed to come back home to Virginia, she was admitted to the ICU with cytomegalovirus (CMV), pneumonia and other infections which compromised her lungs, eventually causing her death. She fought bravely, but died peacefully surrounded by family. The family would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Benjamin, Dr. Jones, and the staff at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center for their compassion and amazing care of Penny. In January 2010, Penny and her family founded The Penny F. Garrett Sarcoma Foundation to raise awareness and much-needed funding for rare cancer research and to give hope to others who are affected by these diseases. The major fundraising event for the foundation is the Creeper Trail Ride to End Cancer (C-TREC), a biking and walking event on the Creeper Trail in Damascus held each year in July. More than half of all cancers are classified as “rare,” including brain cancer, cervical cancer, all pediatric cancers, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, uterine cancer, and more. These cancers combined together affect millions of people and the number of cases has been steadily increasing. Research on rare cancers is drastically under funded and attracts fewer research dollars than more common cancers like breast cancer and colon cancer. This results in fewer treatment options for rare cancer patients. The 5th Annual C-TREC event was on July 26th, just three days after Penny’s stem cell transplant. The foundation has raised $450,000 since 2010 for rare cancer research at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston - one of the world’s most respected centers devoted to cancer care, research, and prevention. Penny is survived by her husband of 22 years, Todd Garrett; their son, Peyton Garrett; their daughter, Madison Garrett, all of Damascus; her parents, Dennis and Darlene French of Damascus; her brother, Patrick French of New York, NY; her sister, Olivia French of Charleston, SC; her maternal grandmother, Rowena “Teen” Buckley of Damascus; her mother-in-law, Mona Garrett of Damascus; her aunts and uncles Ken French of Sumter, SC; Kip and Bet French of Ormond Beach, FL; Terry and Anita French of El Paso, TX; Gail and Jimmy Combs of Asheboro, NC; and Eugene Neely of Damascus; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. The family will receive friends from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. on Friday, December 12, 2014, at Garrett Funeral Home, 203 North Shady Avenue, Damascus, Virginia. Penny’s life will be celebrated at 2 o’clock p.m. Saturday afternoon, December 13, 2014, at Holston High School, 21308 Monroe Road, Damascus, with Pastor Greg Alderman and Pastor David Matlock officiating with Ken “Sonny” French delivering the Eulogy. The committal service and interment will follow at Sunset Memorial Park, 21674 Monroe Road, Damascus. Pallbearers will be members of Todd’s C-TREC Team (Penny’s Dream Team): Emory Bishop, Adam Johnson, Don Blackburn, David “Sluggo” Widener, Cody Cole, and David Cline. In lieu of flowers, Penny preferred that you consider a donation to The Penny F. Garrett Sarcoma Foundation (29394 Zion Church Road, Damascus, VA 24236 or creepertrailridetoendcancer.com) to keep alive her determined fight to find a cure for rare cancers. Penny wanted her funeral and any other memorials to be as much of a celebration of her life as possible. In that vein, please feel free to smile and laugh as you recall special memories of Penny and please dress however you like. Penny would have loved for everyone to wear their C-TREC t-shirts or other shirts/sports jerseys you may have from events that supported the foundation. As much as Penny wanted her memorial to be upbeat, she was respectful, however that everyone mourns in their own way and that there is no “right” way to do so. Please help us honor Penny and her legacy in whatever way you see fit. Condolences and memories may be shared with Penny’s family by visiting www.garrettfuneralhome.com. Penny and her family are in the care of Garrett Funeral Home of Damascus. Ph.#: 276/475-3631

Penny French Garrett

May 13, 1968 - December 3, 2014